Pull-Up

advanced · pull_vertical

Setup

Pick a solid bar high enough that your feet clear the floor when you hang. If it is out of reach, use a low box to get on and off the bar rather than jumping up to grab it or letting go and dropping once your grip is tired. Take an overhand grip about one fist wider than your shoulders on each side, with your thumbs wrapped around.

Execution

Hang with straight arms, cross your ankles and brace your belly so the body cannot swing.
Begin by pulling your shoulder blades down away from your ears while the arms are still straight.
Exhale and drive your elbows down toward your hips until your chin clears the bar.
Hold one beat at the top with your chest toward the bar instead of craning your neck to reach.
Inhale and lower over 3 seconds until the arms are completely straight at the bottom.
At the end of the set, or the moment you can no longer make a clean rep, lower yourself to the floor or onto the box under control rather than letting go and dropping.

Breathing

Exhale as you pull up, inhale as you lower. The last rep invites breath-holding, so breathe out audibly if it helps.

Quick cues

Pull with your elbows, not your hands.
Blades down first, then pull.
Chest toward the bar.
Three seconds down every rep.
Imagine bending the bar in half.

Common faults

Fault: Swinging and kicking the legs for momentum
Fix: Cross your ankles, squeeze your glutes and move to the band-assisted version so the reps stay clean.
Fault: Pulling only halfway so the chin never clears the bar
Fix: Use a band or the negative version to train the full range, and count clean reps rather than attempts.
Fault: Dropping out of the top instead of lowering
Fix: Count to three on the way down, because that phase builds most of your pulling strength.
Fault: Tipping the head back to get the chin over the bar
Fix: Keep the chin slightly tucked and use chest-to-bar as the target instead of the chin.

Equipment

pull_up_bar, bodyweight

Muscle groups

back, arms, core